Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-279482 (Patent Document 1), a coin insertion device includes a coin passage comprising a coin insertion opening and a coin discharge opening, and a shutter member that opens and closes the coin discharge opening. The shutter member is provided in a freely rotating condition and it can be forcefully rotated by a rotation mechanism comprising an electrical driving source such as a drive motor. Prior to coin insertion the coin passage is blocked by the shutter member, and at the time of coin insertion the shutter member is rotated by the rotation mechanism to open the coin passage.
In the conventional coin insertion device, a shutter member is rotated by a rotation mechanism equipped with an electrical driving source, and electricity is required to open and close the coin passage. There is thus a problem that the device cannot be installed in an automatic vending machine that does not use electricity, such as a capsule dispenser that is provided in front of a store. There is also a problem that the structure required to perform rotation of the shutter member by electrical processing is complex, and can not be produced at a low cost.
The present invention was made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of this invention is to provide a coin insertion device equipped with a shutter member that has a simple structure and can be produced at a low cost, and which can be installed in an automatic vending machine or the like which does not use electricity.